According to the development of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technology, a device supporting a communication using a WLAN is explosively increasing. For example, a smart phone supporting a Wi-Fi technology, smart appliances, and the like are increasing. Accordingly, the number of WLAN devices per the same WLAN area is increasing.
In a WLAN system, devices positioned within a specific scope share a resource. Therefore, when a plurality of WLAN devices are included in the specific scope, a resource that is usable by each device positioned in a corresponding area is reduced. Furthermore, when the plurality of WLAN devices are included in the specific scope, the amount of interference between the plurality of WLAN devices increases due to the signal transmission and reception of each device positioned in the corresponding area.
FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a WLAN system transmitting and receiving a probe request signal and a probe response signal according to the prior art. Referring to FIG. 1, in the WLAN system, one network includes one Access Point (AP) 100, a plurality of Group Owners (GOs) 110-1 to 110-N, and a plurality of WLAN devices 120-1 to 120-M. Each WLAN device 120-1 to 120-M broadcasts 130 a probe request signal in order to search for an AP or GO positioned on the periphery. At this time, all devices (that is, the AP 100 and the GOs 110-1 to 110-N) receiving the probe request signal transmit 140-1 to 140-N a probe response message to a corresponding WLAN device in order to inform of the existences thereof. That is, all APs and/or GO receiving the probe request message transmits the probe response signal to the corresponding WLAN device, and thus network traffic increases rapidly in a moment. Therefore, the amount of available resources of the WLAN devices that are included in the same area at a corresponding time point is reduced, and an interference amount of the WLAN devices that are included in the same area at the corresponding time point is increased.